Fix It: Resident sick of untidy grass disposal

Shreveport resident Joe Jernigan is tired of having grass blown onto his car.

While driving on Kings Highway, Jernigan said a professional lawn care service splattered his vehicle with lawn clippings that should have been bagged for disposal. Instead, he said, workers were just spraying the debris into the streets.

"I was really upset about that," Jernigan said. "They'd blow that crap right on my car. It happens all over Shreveport."

That kind of action is against the law, according to Shreveport Chief Administrative Officer Dale Sibley.

"If you hire a private contractor to take care of your lawn, by city ordinance it's their responsibility to clean up afterward," Sibley said. "Most of the time their quotes include disposal fees, and they should. It's part of their job."

Aside from causing a public nuisance, Sibley said yard debris can get into the city's water supply through the sewers. That could potentially damage the water supply, and makes treating the water more costly.

"It's a basic issue of good citizenship practices," Sibley said. "But how do you enforce it?"

A citizen would have to see the offense, take the effort to call the police and do so in enough time for law enforcement to arrive and enforce the law. That would work, Sibley said, but he thinks there's a better way.

"Simply be a good citizen," Sibley said. "If you do it yourself, bag up the grass and set it out for the city to collect."

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Fix It: Resident sick of untidy grass disposal

Aside from causing a public nuisance, yard debris can get into the city's water supply through the sewers. That could potentially damage the water supply, and makes treating the water more costly.